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Stop Swatting, Start Farming....With Flies

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Stop Swatting, Start Farming....With Flies
Stop Swatting, Start Farming…With Flies

I. Introduction

II. Background

III. Life Cycle

IV. Establishing and Harvesting a Fly Farm

V. Uses
A. Composting – Waste Removal

B. Animal Feed
1. Food For Fish

C. Biofuels

D. Protein Recycling – Nutrients

E. Antibodies

F. Wound Healing

VI. Advantages

VII. Challenges

VIII. Future Developments

IX. Conclusion

X. Words of Wisdom

I. Introduction
An increase demand on global food sources and pressing environmental challenges, forced scientists to look at viable and cost effective alternatives that not necessarily will have a further negative effect on the environment.
Scientists harnessed the natural abilities of the common fly to recycle and break down waste and to make it into a valuable protein source.
Scientists came up with the idea to use flies in a nutrient recycling process to produce protein for animal feed. The proverbial term “Swatting two flies with one blow” was accomplished as they used waste for the cycle to produce protein for food and ammonia that is used as a natural bleach while getting rid of waste products.
From the initial breakthrough in research, other uses for fly farming were discovered. The full potential of this unusual farming experience is still unknown as there is still a lot of unexplored ground.

II. Background

Born in London, Jason Drew is an international business leader and serial entrepreneur-turned-environmentalist and author. Jason Drew’s Eureka moment was hardly the stuff of a soft-focus Hollywood movie. It came from standing at a dam of blood at the back of an abattoir.
Surrounding that dam were millions of flies. He realised that these waste nutrients were in fact a natural feedstock for these flies. Drew’s comment was,“Having as a young boy fished with a fly on the end of the line or a larvae on the end of a hook, I put two and two together and, with the enormous input of a number of collaborators here in South Africa and



Bibliography: De Hari Mati et al., Alternative Biological Treatment of manure, University of Idaho, Twin Falls Publishers, Pocatello,2011 Handwark, Brian, Medical maggots treat as they eat, National Geographic News, Thursday, October 28, 2010 Lord, WD et al. The black soldier fly as a potential measure of human post-mortem interval,Journal of Forensics Sciences 39, pg 215-222, 1994 Mole, Beth, Maggot Medicine, The Scientist Magazine, December 10, 2012 Newton, JL et al. , Dried Fly Larvae meal as a supplement for swine, J Ani. Sci. 44, pg 395 – 400, 1990 Sherman, R A, Medical Maggots: An ancient remedy for some contemporary afflictions, Annual Review Entymol, 2000, Pg 55-81 St John, Jeff, Fly Larvae for Biofuel, Green Tech Media, March 20, 2009 Venter, Irma, Large – scale fly farming could feed the food that feeds the world, Enginering News, March 28, 2013 Voegele, Erin, Eco System uses fly larvae to make Mag Fuel, Biodiesel Magazine, March 9, 2009

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